- China’s new Type 076 amphibious assault ship, the Sichuan, is preparing for sea trials with a catapult and arrestor system onboard.
- Satellite imagery confirms the presence of a port-side catapult, indicating a likely role for launching unmanned combat aircraft like the GJ-11.
China’s newest and most advanced amphibious assault ship, the Sichuan, has been spotted dockside ahead of its expected first sea trials.
Known as the Type 076 landing helicopter dock (LHD) — and referred to by NATO as the Yulan-class landing helicopter assault ship — the Sichuan is the first amphibious ship in the world designed with a full-scale catapult launch system on its flight deck.
Satellite images captured on June 9, 2024, confirmed the presence of a long, empty section along the port side of the deck, consistent with the layout of an electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS).
The presence of this equipment, along with visible arrestor cables and test mockups seen previously at naval test facilities, has fueled consistent assessments among defense observers that the Type 076 is designed to operate fixed-wing uncrewed combat aircraft — specifically, the GJ-11 “Sharp Sword,” a flying-wing stealth UCAV that was paraded by China in September alongside multiple collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) types.
In a role that blends amphibious landing capability with elements of light carrier functionality, the Sichuan is expected to carry a rotary-wing fleet that could include variants of the Z-8, Z-9, Z-18, Z-20 utility helicopters, as well as the Z-10 or Z-21 attack helicopters. However, despite early speculation, analysts suggest the ship’s flight deck is too narrow to support large manned fighters like the J-15T or J-35, limiting its air wing to helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles.
The twin-island configuration of the Type 076 — reminiscent of the Royal Navy’s HMS Queen Elizabeth class — adds further evidence that its deck layout is tailored for simultaneous fixed-wing UAV operations and rotary-wing activity. In concept, the Sichuan stands apart from Turkey’s TCG Anadolu, a ski-jump equipped amphibious assault ship that has supported drone takeoffs but lacks arrestor systems or electromagnetic launch capability.
With a reported displacement of around 50,000 tons, the Sichuan becomes the largest amphibious platform in China’s fleet and represents a novel development in assault ship design. While earlier generations of Chinese amphibious warfare relied heavily on the Type 075 class for large-scale landings, the Type 076 offers expanded reach into the western Pacific — a key factor in operational planning for areas east of Taiwan, where waters are rougher and less accessible to China’s civilian Roll-On/Roll-Off fleet.
The Sichuan has not yet been declared operational, and no images have confirmed UCAV launch or recovery at sea. But with sea trials expected soon, the platform is likely to accelerate interest — and concern — over how Beijing integrates uncrewed aviation into amphibious warfare.